Method for operating a motor vehicle when changing lanes, and motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a motor vehicle when changing lanes on a roadway consisting of at least three lanes, with the steps: detection by a monitoring system in the vehicle of an impending lane change of the motor vehicle from a first lane to an adjoining second lane; detection of an impending lane change by another vehicle from a third lane that adjoins the second lane, to the second lane; the monitoring system determining whether a collision with the other vehicle threatens if the vehicle changes lanes; as soon as a threatened collision is determined, a warning signal is issued by a warning device and/or the motor vehicle is influenced in its lateral motion by a driver assistance system of the vehicle. In addition, it relates to a motor vehicle with a monitoring system.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Method for operating a motor vehicle when changing lanes on a roadway comprising at least three lanes, comprising the steps:
 detection by a monitoring system in the vehicle of an impending lane change of the motor vehicle from a first lane to an adjoining second lane; 
 detection of an impending lane change by another vehicle from a third lane that adjoins the second lane, to the second lane, wherein a first monitored area that comprises the second lane and the third lane is monitored by zones by means of the monitoring system; 
 the monitoring system determining whether a collision with the other vehicle threatens if the vehicle changes lanes; 
 as soon as a threatened collision is determined, a warning signal is issued by a warning device and/or the motor vehicle is influenced in its lateral motion by a driver assistance system of the vehicle, characterized in that 
 the vehicle is automatically moved back into the first lane by the driver assistance system, as soon as it is determined that there is a threat of a collision with the other vehicle and the vehicle has at least partially departed from the first lane; and 
 the size of the first monitoring area, in the longitudinal direction of the roadway is adjusted in dependence on a currently permissible speed limit. 
 
     
     
       2. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 it is determined that the vehicle is about to change lanes by means of a corresponding blinker activation and/or by a steering motion to that effect of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       3. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 it is determined that the other vehicle is about to change lanes by means of a corresponding blinker activation and/or a transverse motion of the other vehicle on the roadway. 
 
     
     
       4. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 the warning signal is issued when it has been detected that the motor vehicle and the other vehicle are about to change lanes. 
 
     
     
       5. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 as long as the other vehicle is in the first monitoring area, the motion of the other vehicle is detected and, using it, a determination is made that a lane change by the other vehicle is impending. 
 
     
     
       6. Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that as long as the other vehicle is in the first monitoring area, the relative motion of the other vehicle vis-à-vis the vehicle is detected and, using this, a determination is made of whether a collision threatens of the vehicle with the other vehicle if the vehicle changes lanes. 
     
     
       7. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 an impending lane change is made more difficult by the driver assistance system by an increase in torque required to be applied to a steering wheel of the vehicle or is prevented by the driver assistance system or by issuance of the warning signal, as soon as a threatened collision has been determined with the other vehicle. 
 
     
     
       8. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 by means of the monitoring system a second monitored area that comprises the first lane by zones is monitored, and the vehicle only moves back into the first lane if no additional vehicle is in the second monitored area. 
 
     
     
       9. Method according to  claim 8 ,
 characterized in that 
 the size of the second monitoring area, in the longitudinal direction of the roadway, is adjusted in dependence on the current speed of the vehicle and/or on a currently permissible speed limit. 
 
     
     
       10. Method according to  claim 1 ,
 characterized in that 
 the size of the first monitoring area, in the longitudinal direction of the roadway, is also adjusted in dependence on the current speed of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       11. Motor vehicle with:
 a monitoring system which is designed:
 to detect an imminent lane change of a vehicle from a first lane to an adjoining second lane; 
 to detect an impending lane change of a second vehicle from a third lane adjoining the second lane to the second lane; 
 to monitor a first monitoring area comprising the second lane and third lane by zones; 
 to determine whether a collision is threatened with the other vehicle when the vehicle changes lanes; 
 
 a warning device which is designed to issue a warning signal as soon as a collision with the other vehicle becomes a threat; 
 a driver assistance system which is designed to effect transverse guidance on the vehicle, as soon as a threatened collision with the other vehicle has been determined; 
 
       characterized in that
 the driver assistance system is designed to automatically move vehicle back into the first lane, as soon as a threatened collision with the other vehicle has been determined and the vehicle has at least partially moved out of the first lane; 
 the monitoring system is designed to adapt the size of the first monitoring area, in the longitudinal direction of the roadway, depending on a current permissible speed limit.